« Home
Bob's Blog
Winning a bracket competition is no small thing. It helps to follow college basketball all season, you’d do well to do some research, and of course there’s plenty of luck thrown in. Everything came together for the man who calls himself “TheIceHole” (I assume it’s a man, would a lady call herself something like “TheIceHole”?). TheIceHole fought off 200 players to win my Bracket Challenge, congratulations!
TheIceHole has some really great stuff coming to him--a Coleman Portable Perfect Flow 2 Burner Stove, Coleman Extreme Cooler on Wheels, All Clad Grilling Utensils, and a $200 Foodland certificate! He’ll be the envy of the neighborhood!
Speaking of envy, here’s how Steve, John, and Matt fared against me in the Bracket Challenge standings:
Thanks to everyone who played—I hope you had as much fun as we did!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
Did you happen to miss an entry? No problem! Now you can go back and comb through all the blog entries in this new section! Just click on a date and enjoy!
4/2/08
2/28/08
2/4/08
1/28/08
1/8/08
12/13/07
11/27/07
10/29/07
10/22/07
10/12/07
8/1/07
7/10/07
5/14/07
3/22/07
3/8/07
2/15/07
1/26/07
1/5/07
12/22/06
12/14/06
11/30/06
11/15/06
11/7/06
10/23/06
10/11/06
9/27/06
4/27/06
4/3/06
3/6/06
2/17/06
1/27/06
1/18/06
1/10/06
1/3/06
4/2/08
With the warmer weather comes my favorite time of year—concert season! It’s been a hectic few weeks as more and more shows are being announced. You can keep up with them over on the Bob’s Shows page, or on the Calendar, both of which are rigorously updated.
With most of this spring and summer’s show’s lined up I thought it would be fun to share the five I’m most looking forward to seeing! Here they are in chronological order:
It’s hard to overstate the Murphy’s Law attitude around here when word got out that the Diamond Dave tour ran aground and all those dates got pushed back. All the intrigue and tension only add to the anticipation, but I bet I won’t be the only one breathing a sigh of relief when (if?) these guys finally hit the arena stage.
I have a feeling the tailgate scene at this one will be one of the more memorable of the year. That jangly outlaw country sound makes for a great time, and these guys will keep it coming for hours. I will say I hope Hank gets that Monday Night Football song out of the way early in his set.
Tom Petty is about to put out an album with his first band, Mudcrutch. I’ve got high hopes one or two of those songs make it into his set. Steve Winwood is always amazing in concert, and while the tour I’m waiting for is a Steve Winwood/Eric Clapton quasi-Blind Faith reunion, I’ll take Stevie on his own anytime.
This show has so much going for it! It’s outside on a Saturday night, and aside from whatever obligatory new stuff they’ll play, I know every song by both these guys. Joe Cocker says he quit smoking and has been gargling Listerine, so even if he can’t hit the high notes of years past, at least he’ll smell a lot better!
After stumbling a little out of the gate, the Police have barnstormed all over the world. According to Sting this tour is it for the Police, they’re only going to play about a half dozen more shows after Burgettstown—that’s about as hot a ticket as you can get!
Remember—check out the Bob’s Shows page to keep up with the big headliners. You’ll find lots more upcoming concerts and other events on the calendar, too! See you at the shows!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
2/28/08
Everyone here at the station is saddened by Myron Cope’s passing, and our thoughts go out to his family and friends who knew him best. I can’t begin to match the eloquence you’ll find in other tributes to Myron, but I want to share what I liked best about him. Lots of credit goes to Arlin’s Myron Cope Sounds page, which is a great place to hang out if all this has you down.
Like so many of us, my strongest memories of Myron come from that voice blasting out of my speakers every Sunday with the TV turned down. That wasn’t lost on him:
It was always a little dangerous listening to Myron calling Steelers games, because beer could shoot out of your nose at almost any time. I found him funniest when he’d get all fired up and start flinging words at the wall to see what stuck.
Of course, one of Myron’s biggest legacies is the concept of the Terrible Towel. I’ve got a massive collection of them—I always forget to bring one to the game, so I wind up buying one on site. I’m intimately familiar with this sensation:
Myron Cope was an accomplished writer and broadcaster. However, the theme to his interview show, “Cope’s Cabana”, left no doubt that he wasn’t much of a crooner:
Speaking of Cope’s Cabana, I just love this clip where he’s trying to ascertain the gender of an exotic bird some handlers from the Aviary brought on the show:
As sad as I am to hear about Myron’s passing, I always chuckle a little when I think of him. Everyone in this city who works on the radio feels his influence, and that spirit of uniqueness and irreverence is a big part of Bob FM. Goodbye Myron, and thanks for everything!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
2/4/08
Plaxico Burress, Big Ben’s former neighbor, may have given us the most audacious pre-Super Bowl prediction in 40 years. In case you missed it, he said his Giants would beat the Patriots 23-17, despite New England being favored by 11.5 points. The rest is history. Steelers or no, at least the game was pretty good and the Patriots lost!
As commercials go, this was one of the best Super Bowls in a while. Helpfully, there’s a whole Myspace page dedicated to all the ads. I had three favorites, cashew-loving Unibrow Lady, Alice Cooper/Richard Simmons caught in the headlights, and of course, Bob’s House:
Let me know if you thought I left out any goodies. Admittedly I zoned out a little until the fourth quarter. I bet you did, too—the 30 minutes without any scoring was a Super Bowl record!
Congratulations to Dennis McMahon, and thanks to everyone who entered the Lynyrd Skynyrd/Hank Williams Who Needs 10 contest! We have plenty of other stuff on the Win With Bob page, so start grabbing some prizes!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
1/28/08
It’s been pretty busy around here lately. I have lots to tell you about, but first I absolutely have to share something. In honor of Van Halen’s upcoming Mellon Arena show, here’s David Lee Roth’s vocals on “Runnin’ With the Devil” with all the instruments removed:
Speaking of concerts—Eddie Money’s playing the Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead on the 1st, John Nene scored a great interview with the former police officer:
I’ve also got tickets to see Bon Jovi’s March 5th show, and coolest of all—I’m giving away 10 tickets and a big tailgate for the May 17th Lynyrd Skynyrd/Hank Williams Jr. show!
Start registering to win all this stuff! Good luck, and talk to you later!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
1/8/08
You’d think with all the music I’ve got stashed away that picking 2,008 songs is a breeze, right? What surprised me was how many songs didn’t make the cut. One thing I learned about myself after this process is that I have a 2,009th favorite song. I hesitate to say just what it is so that no one’s feelings are hurt!
A fun little mental exercise we had in the office involved counting up all the songs in the A to Z by artist. The singer with the most songs in the A to Z on B-O-B, with just over 1% of the total?
That’s right—23 songs worth of Sir Elton John himself! I love that picture—it totally reinforces the rumor that Elton had a rule against looking him in the eye backstage at his shows. He’s since denied that rumor, but his other backstage demands are pretty funny.
I sure hope everyone had as much fun listening to the A to Z as I had putting it together. Thanks for all the emails—it was really cool to kick off 2008 with an overflowing inbox! Here are a couple of my favorites:
Happy new year to the best station ever. The idea of playing songs from a to z is fantastic. I started listening yesterday and every hour I have my radio on just for this program. Keep up the great work all year round!
judy—Bradenville, PA
The A-Z on the B- O- B! You have cured my bitter music face- now I smile, sing, and dance all day long. I love you, BOB!
Charli
Keep that feedback coming, especially when it’s nice!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
12/13/07
The pressure’s on to find those uniquely Pittsburgh gifts for the out of town relatives who have no idea what they’re missing here in the ‘Burgh. There’s a bunch of funny stuff at BurghLines.com, this bumper sticker is my favorite:
Chances are I’ll be giving out a lot of gift cards this Christmas, because I’m way too busy lately to shop. It’ll be worth it, though—I’ve been working day and night on a very special feature, call it a late Christmas gift for Western PA! I’m in the process of going through my entire record collection and picking out the very best, the goal is to whittle down the list to 2,008 songs. The plan is to alphabetize them and play them straight through starting New Year’s Eve. I call it “A to Z on B-O-B”!
I hope you’re looking forward to the A to Z as much as I am, it was one of those good news/bad news ideas—on one hand it’s going to be great to go through the library like that, on the other it’s been a lot of hard work picking the songs! In fact, I need to get back to it so everything will be just right by the 31st. In the meantime, you should win yourself a cool prize over on the Win With Bob page!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
11/27/07
You wait all month for it, eager for the big break, the big meal, the big gathering. But fess up; you’re probably a little relieved to have your house back. Ben Franklin wrote that fish and relatives stink in three days. That’s a little harsh, and I don’t feel that way as soon as everyone leaves.
In fact, being that it’s the holiday season, the opposite happens—I start actively looking for stuff to buy for all those relatives. The uncle who broke the toilet seat? Car wax! My grandmother, who stuffed leftovers in the sink even though I don’t have a disposal? Sexually ambiguous DVD!
If you’re like me you wind up procrastinating buying gifts until around December 23rd, only to knock it out in one enormously painful trip to the mall. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way this year! I’m adding stuff all the time to my Win With Bob page, so head on over and win something for someone special, even yourself!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
10/29/07
Thanks to everyone who came out to the Hard Rock Saturday night! Our Halloween party started strong and just got better, in no small part because of all the cool costumes and loud music. Beers, too.
I’m not going to say any station employees were hammered, but that image didn’t blur itself.
Special thanks to Steve Rohan and Matt Newport for corralling all those costume contest participants. The audience chose Mary Poppins and Bert as the big winners. Note the sad face on the Ghostbuster. I think the inflatable backpack reduced his cred.
Of course, the big attraction was KISS tribute band Mr. Speed. “Paul Stanley” hails from just up the road in Avalon, and the crowd was hot. I got to peek at the setlist taped to the floor of the stage, so I knew the boys would put some miles on those Marshall stacks. A lot of your KISS tribute bands are just spandex and makeup, but it was clear these guys had great chops. Thanks to them, and thanks to all of you who attended—you made it our best Halloween party yet!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
10/22/07
Halloween might be my favorite time of year, especially when tradition meets American innovation. This is manifested best with the advent of the pumpkin cannon. A brief browsing of YouTube indicates that the latest craze involves shooting pumpkins through large durable goods, like cars and boats. Proof:
Halloween is also a great excuse to decorate the outside of your house. Just make sure to factor in the setup-to-“cops showing up” ratio.
Come hang out with us at Zoo Boo this weekend! We’ll be there doling out candy for most of the afternoon Saturday and Sunday. See you there!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
10/12/07
For all the fuss about how Steely McBeam looks like Bill Cowher, I have to credit HaveAGoodSandwich for pointing out an even more uncanny resemblance to the fat guy from the “Money for Nothing” video.
I hope you’ve had the chance to peek at the Web Junk page. Every time I add new stuff I hear chuckles coming from the cubicles, so keep those video clips and other internet flotsam coming. Just to whet your appetite, here’s a clip someone sent me of the theme to “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” as performed by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain:
While you’re surfing around the site you should put in a song request. Put in your request during the day and I’ll see if I can’t play it for you the next morning! Sound easy? It is!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
8/1/07
Welcome to the all new bobfm969.com! This has been a long time coming, but I think the end result looks pretty good! We tried to bring some fun new stuff to the website, and keep everything you liked from the old version.
A big reason behind the redesign is to bring you more content more often. Check “Daily Bob” for entertainment news, movies in your area, and other stuff that changes every day. Bob’s Toy Box is where I’ll put some of the funny stuff I find on the internet when I’m pretending to work. Be sure to send me whatever cool links or other stuff you think I’d like by emailing me.
You’ll find plenty of other changes on the new site, so be sure to poke around! Push all the buttons, kick the tires—and I’d really appreciate it if you’d drop me a line and tell me what you think. Let me know how you like the new site, if you noticed any bugs in the works, that kind of thing.
One thing we’re keeping is the Surfing Contest! Click on over and try to win a cool DVD!
Thanks again for stopping by! Hopefully we’ll see a lot of you on the new website!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
7/10/07
Anybody watch Live Earth? My plan was to sleep in Saturday and watch it all on tape, but my Tivo has been recording the wrong channels lately. The only part I got to see was from Sydney during the end of Wolfmother's set. I'm most disappointed to have missed the set from Antarctica's all-scientist band Nunatak, winners of both the coolest band name and coolest place to play a gig (literally!).
I wasn't the only one who missed Live Earth, apparently the TV ratings were disappointing for NBC. How bad? Cops beat Live Earth.
My theory is people were a little burned out on the whole global concert thing. We weren't even a week removed from that Princess Diana show when we got to Live Earth.
A little closer to home--Pittsburgh's summer concert season is at its peak! I suggest using the Bob's Shows page to pick and choose among the great shows coming to town. In related news, the resurgent Smashing Pumpkins just announced they're coming to Pittsburgh this fall!
As always, thanks for checking in, and be sure to enter the latest Surfing Contest!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
5/14/07
A listener emailed me this picture and I just had to share it. What’s with that guy’s face? My best guess is he’s trying to figure out the flavor of the underlying ice cream.
I promised myself this year to get out and enjoy the rivers more this summer, and although we have our own problems, at least we don’t have to dodge unexploded antiaircraft shells on the beaches like they do in New Jersey.
Another cool thing about this time of year is we usually get to see a movie or TV show shot in town. That said, how often do you actually watch the stuff that’s filmed here? Remember 10th & Wolf? How about Smith? Right now a Spike TV miniseries called The Kill Point is blocking traffic downtown for the next couple of weeks. I sure hope it’s worth it!
The Surfing Contest is all new—paddle on over and win something!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
3/22/07
Of all the celebrities on Dancing With the Stars, I’m least impressed with Heather Mills. For the record, it has nothing to do with her dancing ability, which isn’t any worse than, say, Billy Ray Cyrus. What irks me is the little title they give her at the beginning of each show: Charity Activist. I guess “Soon To Be Paul McCartney’s Ex-Wife” takes too long to read. Charity Activist sounds like a term you use when you can’t articulate why that person is famous. Sort of like that guy who was on To Tell the Truth, “actor and provocateur” Orson Bean.
With potholes opening up all around us I’m reminded of a very old joke:
What are the four seasons of Pittsburgh?
Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Construction.
My advice is just to stay off the roads until June or so, if you can.
I raided the prize closet today and got a hold of a great DVD, but you have to enter my Surfing Contest to win it! Good luck!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
3/8/07
Here’s a little known fact—I prefer Dancing With the Stars to American Idol. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy both, but celebrities humiliating themselves ranks just a little higher than regular people doing it.
Every season I always wind up rooting for the oldest contestant (George Hamilton’s still my all time favorite). This time around it’s Cliff Claven himself, 59-year-old John Ratzenberger. Did you know he’s been involved with every movie the Pixar movie studio has ever produced? They say he’s their good luck charm.
The Surfing Contest is all new—head on over and give it a shot!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
2/15/07
As bad as it's been here lately, imagine sitting in 50 miles worth of stranded motorists outside of Philly. If I'm stuck in 50 miles of traffic Woodstock or Heather Graham or something had better be at the end of it.
I read on Thursday that the T is worth a billion dollars. And for that money our light rail is a wonder of engineering and determination. So how do you fix it if it gets a little icy? Oh, you know, just whack it with a hammer.
Meanwhile, here at the station we're doing our best to cope with the rotten weather. When your livelihood depends on a big metal thing hundreds of feet in the air it can be a little scary when ice gets all over it. Not to worry, we have a crack team of hammer-wielding yinzers ready to start pounding on the antenna if necessary.
Ok, no more winter moping--I've got a new Surfing Contest! Put down your hammer and shovel and play right now!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
1/26/07
Don’t even bother calling 3-1-1 to find out if Van Halen’s reunion tour will come through Pittsburgh. They have no idea.
Maybe it has to do with winter putting the beatdown on the ‘Burgh recently, but I’ve had baseball on the brain all week. It just came out that the Pirates are doing something really cool this year—they’re going to have some post-game concerts this season, including Styx! That’ll get me over the Clemente Bridge this summer for sure.
Speaking of sports and music, I’m rooting for the Bears to win the Super Bowl. Two reasons. One, Peyton Manning’s in so many commercials it’s like he’s running for president. Two, The Super Bowl Shuffle. ‘Nuff said.
We’re due for a new Surfing Contest, and I dug up a really fun prize this time! Click here to check it out!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
1/05/07
This article in the Post Gazette just blew me away. They’re actually hauling snow up to the slopes with coal trucks! I’m seriously concerned that I might actually have to mow my lawn this month.
Now that the holidays are over there’s not a heck of a lot to do except sit around and hope I don’t catch a cold. I never got around to it amidst the Olympic hoopla last year, but I’m thinking about heading over to the RMU Island Sports Center and giving curling a try. I’m actually a little nostalgic for slipping on some ice!
Meanwhile, congratulations to our latest Surfing Contest winner--Mary Howatson from Castle Shannon! She was able to track down the answer to the last question (there were 52 episodes of Batman Beyond) and won the Batman and Justice League DVDs plus the animation cels!
I’ve got an all new Surfing Contest set to go with a very cool prize, click here to play!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
12/22/06
I read recently that a mall Santa pulls in as much as $10,000 in a season! That’s like a dollar a “ho”!
One of the funniest little things about this time of year is how the Department of Defense gets in the holiday spirit. You ever see on the news how they show NORAD tracking Santa? The tradition dates back to the mid-1950s, and there’s a really funny high-tech website called NoradSanta.org. The radar animation is my favorite part.
I’m relieved to report I got all my holiday shopping done, and I didn’t have to cop out and buy any gift cards. My motto is, if you’re thinking of giving a gift card to someone just write him a check! Why give someone money that’s worthless almost everywhere?
Before I go hunker down with friends and family I have a new Surfing Contest to play! Have fun, and have a great holiday!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
12/14/06
This is the sum total of my holiday shopping so far. I’m not proud of it.
What’s funny about holiday shopping at the mall is how the proportion of male shoppers increases exponentially. Christmas Eve at the mall is a funny day—hundreds of guys in their winter coats, powerwalking their way past the stores. If you’ve ever wondered, here’s a good sample of what these guys are thinking as the clock ticks to Christmas morning.
“Dress Barn? She likes dresses, right? What size is she? I really don’t want to go in there anyway. Piece Goods Store? Does she like piece goods? What are piece goods?”
This, ladies, is why you wind up getting snow globes and figurines every year. It’s the most expensive stuff at the stationary store, the last resort of desperate men.
Jessica Laguna from Hazelwood correctly answered the last Surfing Contest question--Pinky and the Brain are voiced by Maurice LaMarche and Rob Paulsen!
Check out my all new Surfing Contest going on right now by clicking here!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
11/30/06
Was I the only one who had to park in the crummiest spot in the lot? I must have done two dozen laps before finding this one!
This year I finally figured out why we call the day after Thanksgiving Black Friday. That’s the day businesses supposedly turn a profit. I don’t know. Black Friday sounds too much like Black Thursday to me, which of course was the day the stock market crashed and set off the Great Depression. I’ve never been crazy about that juxtaposition.
On top of that, now there’s Cyber Monday. That’s when those of us who shop in our pajamas do the most business for online retailers. It’s enough to make me participate in Buy Nothing Day!
Congratulations to Theresa Senterfitt of West Mifflin for winning the last Surfing Contest! Gloria Estefan’s real name is Gloria Maria Farjado, although you could get technical and say it’s actually Gloria Maria Milagrosa Farjado Garcia.
I’ve got a brand new Surfing Contest all ready to go! Have fun puzzling out my latest question and try for a very cool DVD—you can play by clicking here!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
11/15/06
You knew it would happen sooner or later. Some surly New Yorker didn’t want to deal with Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat shenanigans and punched him out right in the street. “High five” indeed! The Post Gazette had a funny article about a guy some people are calling the real Borat, a man in Turkey named Mahir Cagri. I’ve been to his website, and there’s definitely a bizarre resemblance.
If you haven’t already, make sure to take a look at some of the new pictures in the Bob’s Pics section! Personally, I’m torn between two favorites—the Blue Man Group hex shot and the Halloween costume contest finalists.
Meanwhile, it’s time once again to launch a new Surfing Contest! Paddle on over there and test your skills!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to."
Louis Armstrong
11/7/06
Seriously, it would have been pretty cool on its own to have a Pittsburgher on the Mickey Mouse Club, so it’s especially heartening to see what a success Christina Aguilera has become!
It definitely took me a while to figure out what sort of career I wanted to pursue. Call me a dreamer or a slacker, but most people I know are like that. Christina was plying her trade on Star Search when she was eight, man!
Why do I bring all this up? Turns out Christina is coming home next April to Mellon Arena! You know you’ve arrived when your concert is announced five months in advance, and I’ve got something special for you to win in the newest Surfing Contest!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to.”
Louis Armstrong
10/23/06
I had a great time at the Blue Man Group over the summer, and I think it’s really neat to come up with a costume with your friends and all, but guys—get on the same diet plan! If all you’ve got is a pudgy guy, a normal guy, and a really skinny guy maybe you should be the Ghostbusters or something.
I guess it isn’t fair to tease, seeing as I always blow it when it comes to Halloween costumes. I’ll come up with a great idea and never do anything about it until it’s way too late. The afternoon of a Halloween party I’m going through my closets looking for stuff, but it’s pretty much impossible to assemble a credible Halloween costume out of junk in your house.
Congratulations to Kathy Offord of Plum for winning the last Surfing Contest! The response has been fantastic so far, and I’m really impressed with how many people can coax these answers from the search bar! I’ve lined up more prizes, and a new Surfing Contest is officially underway—check it out right now!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to.”
Louis Armstrong
10/11/06
How much Halloween candy do you wind up eating? I always go crazy at the grocery and wind up with a bag and a half of leftovers on November 1st. And speaking of Halloween candy, is there such a thing as regular-size Krackel? It’s always in the bag with the plain Hershey and Mr. Goodbar. You used to be able to get a full-size Mr. Goodbar back in the day, and there’s nothing like a straight-up Hershey bar, but I have yet to see a fully realized Krackel. I’d get one out of the office vending machine now and then, wouldn’t you? This article explores this phenomenon in greater detail if you’re interested.
Meanwhile, congratulations to Erin Morgan on McKeesport! She was able to figure out the question to my Surfing Contest! The answer, of course, was that Bon Jovi played Erfurt, Germany on April 29th, 1998. Looks like it was a good show, too! Thanks to everyone who entered!
Since so many of you got into the spirit of the Surfing Contest, I’ve decided to run another one! Click here to play, and hang loose!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to.”
Louis Armstrong
9/27/06
How long until the first real snow? Think it’ll be before Thanksgiving? The Farmer’s Almanac says winter’s going to be nasty compared to last year. Awesome. My muffler wanted more rust for Christmas anyway.
I figured since it’s almost Seasonal Affective Disorder season, I should come up with a fun contest for the office, like a surfing contest! What’s that? You can’t surf in Western PA? Actually, you sorta can, but I had something else in mind.
Here’s how my Surfing Contest works. I’ll put up a question that hardly anyone could get off the top of their head. You’ll have to “surf” to find it! I put in a link to a search engine so you can find the answer. Once you do just email me and I’ll pick a winner out of all the correct answers! I have a great prize for you, too—click here to play!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to.”
Louis Armstrong
Back to Top
4/27/06
I read somewhere that our Pirates are off to their worst start in five decades! At this point I almost want them to keep losing--if you're going to be bad, you might as well be the absolute worst in history, right?
I still have to wear flannel sometimes while I'm getting my grill going, but there's no doubt now that grilling season is here. Am I the only one who gets jealous when you smell your neighbor getting his charcoal going? If you're a little rusty in that department here's a little refresher course to get you back on track!
As you may have noticed, business is really picking up with new contests and great deals popping up all the time! Keep your eyes peeled for two great prizes coming soon--I don't want to spoil the surprise, but one features total indulgence, and the other involves a ton of concert tickets!
I was thinking that a fun feature to include here in the blog would be an "Ask Bob" section. If there's anything you want to know about the radio station, your favorite artists, or anything else on your mind please drop me a line at bob@bobfm969.com. I'll answer your questions right here on the blog!
I look forward to hearing from you soon, and here's hoping the Pirates get 10 wins by Mother's Day!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to.”
Louis Armstrong
Back to Top
4/3/06
Margaret Atwood wrote that in the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt. I sure wish some guys in my neighborhood would start smelling like asphalt, know what I mean?
Still, it'll be nice to walk around Point State Park and not hear crunching under my feet. I'm also really looking forward to getting my hands on some of Manny's BBQ over at PNC Park!
Meanwhile there's a bunch of stuff going on here at Bob FM. I'm so glad to see how many people have been signing up for my support group, coming out to events, and otherwise showing your support for Bob FM!
A lot of people have been taking advantage of the Eat at Bob's deal. Those of you who haven't need to check it out right now! It's a great way to check out different places at a great discount.
I have some other cool deals just over the horizon! Now that spring has sprung I say it's high time to hit the links--keep your head down and keep checking back for a great golf deal coming up soon!
The calls and emails keep pouring in, this call has been a big hit here in the studio lately. Hope to hear from you soon!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to.”
Louis Armstrong
Back to Top
3/6/06
Congratulations to Best Actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman and everything, but what was with the Carnac the Magnificent impression during his speech?
I like how the Oscars were spread out this year--six movies got the top six awards. It's annoying to me when one movie gets like eight Oscars. Now I can tell my friends with a straight face that there's more parity in the Academy, just like the NFL.
You hate to see Pitt drop that last game at the Pete this season, but I can't wait for the Big East tournament. If Pitt beats Louisville then the Backyard Brawl rubber match is officially on!
Queen's always been one of my favorite bands, so I'm especially stoked that Queen and Paul Rogers are coming to town this month! I came up with a contest I think you'll really like--you could get front row tickets at the show and get a chance to meet the band! Click here for that and a couple other cool giveaways.
I'd like to thank everyone who's been supporting the station over the last few months. Keep the calls and emails coming, I'll put some of the goodies on the blog soon!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to.”
Louis Armstrong
Back to Top
2/17/06
For a while there I really thought someone passed Punxatawney Phil a couple of twenties to say six more weeks of winter! Hard to argue with the little guy now. All of a sudden we've got a "Day After Tomorrow" scenario outside--the temperature went from 56 to 37 in two hours today!
Speaking of winter, I can't decide which is my favorite Olympic sport: women's curling or skeleton. Curling, especially, is interesting to me because it's basically a bar game in the Olympics. I actually heard a commentator say he saw one of the mens curlers smoking a cigarette.
Be sure to check out some of the great contests I've got going right now, and let's go Pitt!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to.”
Louis Armstrong
Back to Top
1/27/06
Did you see that sign the fan was holding up at the Denver game of Mr.Rooney? Not a dry eye in the house on that one.
Things got pretty crazy in the South Side after that game, but it sounds like everyone more or less behaved themselves.
It's funny, every year the Steelers make the playoffs there's a whole basket of new Steelers fight songs. There's always that one that catches on, I guess this year it's that bizarre "Puhlahmahlu Song" by Mr. Devious. You should be able to get to it on their website.
Be sure to look around the site for some cool stuff that's been added lately, especially in the Bobazon and Win With Bob sections!
Don't forget to sign up for my Support Group if you haven't already, and keep those calls and emails coming! Bye for now!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to.”
Louis Armstrong
Back to Top
1/18/06
That’s what I’m talking about!
In Las Vegas the oddsmakers say Denver wins by three. I’ll believe it when I see it!
Here at Bob FM I’ve been tinkering around, trying to get this website up and running and looking good. I hope you take a look at the Bob’s Bands section. I scoured the internet to find the best sites for all the artists I like. A lot of them are official sites, but plenty of them aren’t, and I hope you have fun browsing through them!
Meanwhile I’ve got a couple of contests going on the Win With Bob page. It only takes a second to fire off an email, and you could win cool stuff!
Had to share this before I sign off—while I appreciate all the supportive emails and voicemails, try not to get in trouble doing it!
See you on the other side of an AFC title!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to.”
Louis Armstrong
Back to Top
1/10/06
Good weekend to be a #6 seed! I’m hard-pressed to say who has the steeper hill to climb—the Redskins at Seattle, or our boys at the Colts. Someone was good enough to send me this pic:
Talk about your battlefield conversions! Too little, too late, pal!
Speaking of people sending me stuff, I’ve been getting literally thousands of calls and emails since I got Bob FM off the ground, here are a couple of standouts:
Laura
Great job! All I can say is--it's about time! Your station is the air freshener in that cesspool called Pittsburgh radio. I really, really love the name, too. Best wishes.
'Bob' Turner
Hopewell Twp.
Click here to hear the call!
Hopefully you’re finding your way around the website easily, any comments or suggestions to make it better are always welcome! Keep on the lookout this week for more updates and improvements to the website!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to.”
Louis Armstrong
Back to Top
1/3/06
Thanks so much for helping launch this crucial part of the new 96.9 Bob FM! Together we can fight back against the corporate culture that's made radio in the 'Burgh so stale lately.
The philosophy behind Bob FM is pretty simple. Ask anyone what they listen to and almost always they'll tell you they like all kinds of music. I figured if people are like that, why not a radio station?
That reminds me, thanks for all the calls and emails. A big part of my day is going through all the feedback and making sure Bob FM sounds just right, and the response has been really great!
There's a little dust still flying around as some of the little details on the website get up and running, but there's still plenty you can do!
First of all, make sure to sign up for my Support Group--that way you'll be the first to know about the latest contests, events, and blog updates!
For starters go to Bobazon and check out some stuff I've got stashed away I think you'll like!
While you're here you can also get up to date on the latest concerts (I'm so stoked to see Queen and Paul Rodgers!), and learn more about some of my favorite bands, too!
That's about it for now. Thanks for stopping by, and I'll be in touch soon!
Bob
"There ain't but two kinds of music in this world. Good music and bad music and good music you tap your toe to.”
Louis Armstrong
Back to Top
